WASHINGTON, May 11 (IANS): Lone individuals are the most likely to launch attacks in the US following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a US raid on his hideout deep inside Pakistan, according to a US advisory.
Lone offenders who share Al Qaeda's ideology are the greatest near-term threat because they are "unburdened by organisational constraints that can slow operational decisions by established terrorist groups", says a joint Department of Homeland Security/FBI bulletin sent to state and local law enforcement.
Individuals could try to attack low-security targets using simple improvised explosive devices or small arms, the message cited by CNN said.
However, the May 9 advisory notes that federal law enforcement officials have "no credible information to suggest that a specifically targeted plot is underway", the news channel said.
The document cited the vow in the Al Qaeda statement confirming the death of Osama which said "the soldiers of Islam" would continue to plan attacks.
The advisory also says that over the past year, Inspire magazine - published in English by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - and various jihadi spokesmen have said attacks by individuals "can have a significant impact".
The notice mentions several attacks involving a single perpetrator, including the November 2009 Fort Hood attack that left 13 people dead. Army Major Nidal Hasan is accused in that shooting.
Law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned that plots by lone wolves are the most difficult to detect and disrupt. But the DHS/FBI bulletin urges state and local law enforcement officials to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
